Connecticut fiscal woes have DEEP planning to curtail some camping at Hammonasset

State’s fiscal woes force DEEP to seek savings

By Sam Norton snorton@nhregister.com @_SamNorton on Twitter

Published
7:18 pm EST, Sunday, November 13, 2016

Helen Bennett - New Haven Register Some of the views at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison, Connecticut.

Helen Bennett - New Haven Register Some of the views at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison, Connecticut.

Photo: Journal Register Co.

Photo: Journal Register Co.

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Helen Bennett - New Haven Register Some of the views at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison, Connecticut.

Helen Bennett - New Haven Register Some of the views at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison, Connecticut.

Photo: Journal Register Co.

Connecticut fiscal woes have DEEP planning to curtail some camping at Hammonasset

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MADISON >> Don’t order a new tent for that fall camping trip to the Connecticut shoreline just quite yet.

That’s because camping at Hammonasset Beach State Park during certain times is becoming questionable for next year, according to state officials.

A spokesman for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said the department has stopped taking any camping reservations for Hammonasset Park after the 2017 Labor Day weekend due to possible budget constraints.

After the state Department of Energy and Environmental Agency announced $1.8 million in cuts five months ago, the ramifications of the state’s fiscal woes still remain and may affect park services next year.

In June, DEEP announced three of the state’s 14 campgrounds — Devil’s Hopyard in East Haddam, Salt Rock in Baltic and Greens Falls in Voluntown — would close after July 4. All other state park and forest campgrounds, with the exception of those at Hammonasset Beach and Rocky Neck state parks which remained open through Columbus Day weekend, closed after Labor Day.

After the agency announced the reduction in operating expenditures, DEEP Commissioner Robert Klee said the department would continue to make adjustments in 2017.

“We will also continue our analysis of park operations to identify the potential for more savings — and expect to take additional cost-cutting steps in the spring of 2017,” Klee said in a June news release.

And because uncertainty still looms at the state level about how many dollars will be allocated to the state park system, Dennis Schain, DEEP spokesman, said the department is being vigilant.

“Typically, you could make reservations on the online system 11 months in advance, but we have not opened the site to take reservations after Labor Day next fall,” Schain said. “There are no firm decisions, we are just being cautious.”

Hammonasset Beach State Park offers 530 campsites. Connecticut residents pay $70 per night to reserve a cabin, while out-of-state campers are charged $80. All other campsites cost $20 per night for in-state residents and $30 for out-of-state campers. In addition to paying per night, each camper is charged a processing fee, Schain said.

Rocky Neck State Park in East Lyme has not taken reservations past Labor Day weekend in years past due to lack of demand, Schain said.

A cost analysis of whether the campground operating costs after Labor Day exceed the amount of revenue generated during that time was not available. But Schain said the park is not in a position to make refunds. Not only is it an inconvenience to those who book the campsite, but the vendor that completes the reservation charges the department a transaction fee.

The cost of the vendor transaction fee is $9, Schain said.

“If (campers) cancel, the vendor still needs to be paid for the transaction that was made, so we would be covering the cost of those transactions,” Schain said.

While the height of the camping season stretches from Memorial Day to Labor Day weekend, Schain said state park campgrounds are still frequented later in the fall by residents and out-of-state campers.

“There are a fair amount of people who enjoy camping there in the fall when it is a little bit cooler and a little less busy,” he said.

Schain said that before DEEP can accommodate reservations for fall 2017 the agency must ensure it has the resources to facilitate those requests. The decision to reopen the Hammonasset Beach State Park grounds past Labor Day hinges on whether the department will be forced to cut costs and reduce staff.

In June, DEEP announced the appropriated general fund allocation for the department was reduced by approximately $10 million. To allow the agency to operate within the budget, the department began to reduce the number of lifeguards on duty at the Shoreline and inland parks throughout the week. Days and operating hours for some of the state park museums and nature centers were also adjusted after the July 4 weekend.

The state park system generates $6 million in revenue from parking and camping fees that is swept into the general fund annually. The total operating budget for state parks — including salaries, benefits, direct operating expenses and seasonal help — is approximately $18 million per year, Schain said.

“People are talking about different models of funding. That is certainly going to be a topic the governor (Dannel P. Malloy) and his office grapples with as they develop the budget,” Schain said.

In previous years, Schain said the revenue the state park system generated was used directly to fund seasonal hires.

“While there is some fluctuation in that year-to-year, it is pretty steady. You still need to allocate money to the parks because $6 million is not enough to cover the $18 million, but it helped with a key chunk of what we needed to do,” Schain said.

But until the state decides how much to allocate DEEP during the next fiscal year, Schain said the department will continue to err on the side of caution in regards to the services it provides.

“We need to better assess the budget situation and the funding for the park system,” Schain said. “We decided to go slow and be prudent. We ask everyone to be patient.”